A/N: Thanks again for reading and reviewing my story.

This chapter contains mature sexual content. *Lynn

xTBBTx

One thing about Sheldon Cooper was that he hated not knowing which made him an excellent researcher. From libraries to online resources he knew his way around so as to maximize his time more efficiently. Given enough facts he could come to a decision that was both logical and correct. It's the way it has always been for him.

But what if it's wrong?

Sheldon still couldn't completely wrap his mind around it as he read. For heuristics to apply meant that his orderly brain readily employed accessible, though loosely applicable, information to control problem solving. Why measure when an 'educated guess' would suffice? There's a 'rule of thumb' for everything. He shuddered at the thought. What place was there for precision, order and logic in such chaos?

He clicked to another screen although it was unnecessary since he'd already read the information. In the psychology of decision making there was a process called anchoring when a specific piece of information heavily influenced an individual's thought process.

Germs are a contaminant to be avoided.

Once the anchor is set, there's a bias toward interpreting other information to reflect the 'anchored' information.

To touch or be touched by another person or object opens one to germ contamination and therefore must be avoided.

In effect the first information learned about a subject at an early age affected future decision making and information analysis.

The only thing was he couldn't pinpoint when his mysophobia started. He remembered his father had a habit of leaving dirty Kleenexes around the house. When toddler Sheldon found one and put it into his mouth his mother was horrified. He felt himself lifted into the air and set on the edge of the sink before an adult finger invaded his mouth to take out the offending tissue. Again and again the finger, now joined by a second, scraped down his tongue and the walls of his mouth, his mother repeatedly saying, "Dirty. Dirty."

He remembered crying as the taste of soap touched his tongue. He tried desperately to expel the fingers but his mother clamped his jaw with her other hand. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness, Shelly." She scrubbed until he was sick.

Was that the reason why he reacted to germs the way he did?

He thought back to the 'Arbage Game' he played with his Meemaw as soon as he was walking. Together they'd go from room to room at his house picking up 'arbage' as he called it. She'd pick up something particularly revolting and said things like "Yuck" or "Filthy." It was worse when he recognized the offending item as something of value—a sock or handkerchief for example—as it literally transformed in front of his eyes into something disgusting.

Did his aversion start then?

He clicked to a third screen.

Allergen specific immunotherapy was the only treatment strategy which treated the underlying cause of the allergic disorder. Grudgingly Sheldon admitted Amy had something with her idea of a 'germ vaccination'; the only problem occurring was his requirement for increasingly larger doses of germs. At some point Penny would notice something amiss with her laundry.

Sheldon took an unnecessary glance over his shoulder as he clicked to the fourth screen.

Like the bonobos the human female underwent a fairly quiet ovulation period so that both male and female partners usually didn't know when she was fertile. While this didn't make sense in terms of the genetic compulsion to procreate there was a plausible biological reason: formation of strong emotional bonds between sexual partners important for social interactions and long-term partnership.

Intimacy with Penny needed to be a priority for their relationship to progress at a normal rate. Sexual dissatisfaction was associated with increased risk of divorce and relationship dissolution. After all they'd been through to be together he'd be damned if he'd let that happen.

Clicking to a fifth screen revealed a diagram of a male and female engaging in coitus.

According to the article there were three common practices for intercourse: vaginal, oral and anal. Sheldon shivered. Like the last two would ever happen. He couldn't imagine putting his penis in a rectal cavity much less inserting his tongue in—

"Done with Penny's budget?" asked Leonard as he emerged from the washroom.

"Indeed," said Sheldon as he closed his web browser before sending the spreadsheet to the printer. "I said I'd have time to tabulate since it's only a biweekly update." He closed his laptop and stood. "We should have enough time for a one on one grudge match before Howard and Raj get here."

"Bring it," Leonard growled as he unwound a controller.

Sheldon raised an eyebrow. "Consider it brought."

XxX

Penny mounted the stairs, backpack slung across her shoulder. She hadn't had to carry this many books since high school and even then it wasn't like she'd been a brainiac who did her homework every night.

As she pulled out her keys the door to apartment 4A opened and Sheldon emerged before quietly closing the door behind him so the sounds of 'Halo night' wouldn't travel into the hall.

"Hey sweetie," Penny said with a smile.

"Hello Penny," he replied as he crossed to her door. "How was school?"

"Just like how I remembered it: exciting to get all the 'new' textbooks and notebooks and pens and pencils then when it's time to start working—yetch!" She entered the apartment, leaving the door open for her boyfriend.

"Perhaps we need to come up with another work-song for your studies," Sheldon said with a twitchy smile. Penny laughed as she let the backpack slide to the floor at her feet before she sat on the couch.

"Somehow I don't think they allow sea shanties being sung in the study hall."

"Not sung no but you do possess an mp3 player. I'll look into some appropriate music for Friday."

She indicated her bag with her foot. "I can't believe how much these books weigh."

"Oh I know. After carrying multiple university science texts in my Batman backpack I saw merit in obtaining a luggage rack."

"You must have been cute to watch: an eleven year old carting his books around in his little red wagon." She lay back on the couch as she stretched.

"More like constantly being trodden underfoot with his cart perpetually and sometimes quite purposely upset by others," he replied with pursed lips. This made Penny stop and think.

"Was it really that bad for you?"

"The best of times and the worst. I was free to pursue my academic interests but my age and obvious intellectual superiority made me a target for others." His jaw stiffened as he noted the sympathetic look on Penny's face. "All in all it proved to be an acceptable tradeoff. I emerged none the worse for wear with the tools necessary to further my research."

"My time at college was literally one big blur from one party to the next. This'll be a new experience actually showing up sober."

"And maintaining your sobriety during the week as you do your homework," he reminded her.

"I'll try to make you proud, dad," she said with a smirk.

"'Proud' implies some form of judgment. I'm pleased for you, Penny. Your future awaits."

"Thank you Moonpie." It took Sheldon several tries to realize he was in the game much less up to bat but every once in a while he knocked one out of the park.

"Don't call me Moonpie. I've brought you a copy of your biweekly budget so you can see where you're at. In October I'll collect your receipts every two weeks so you can get a better understanding of the dynamic ebb and flow of your cash reserves." He handed her the sheet.

"Sounds exciting," she said diplomatically. She tilted her head to regard her boyfriend. "Unlike tomorrow. I've got homework so I don't think it'll be much of a 'date night'."

"We'll make it a 'study date night'. I've some papers to work on and can be available should you require assistance." At this Penny pumpkin grinned.

"Is that when I offer to take off my shirt if you help me with my homework?"

Sheldon's eyes narrowed. "Nice try. I shall overlook this affront on academia."

"Let's just take a makeup test right now," she said as she got off the couch. Her arms slipped around his waist as she lay her head on his chest. "I've missed you." In response his arms encircled her.

"As have I," he said softly, the sound of his voice causing Penny to hug him closer. Sheldon was a bundle of surprises this week. Never in a million years did she expect him to take up her offer of sex; indeed her not so subtle 'hints' were a part of the game: she'd suggest and he'd find some artful way to decline.

Then he'd said 'yes' and her world changed.

Boy did it ever. From a prayer answered to a nightmare in a matter of minutes, things unraveled so fast she didn't have time to think before Sheldon was crouched before her apologizing profusely. He was positively heartsick and she was unable to properly comfort him. Until now.

"Still here, Sheldon," she said as she rubbed his back.

He nodded and lost himself to the embrace.

xTBBTx

Sheldon glanced up from his laptop to see Penny balancing a pencil on her nose.

"I hadn't realized you were doing physics," he said drolly.

"Stress relief," she said slowly. "It's a trick I learned on a study website. It's a form of meditation."

"I highly doubt there's a schoolyard yogi balancing rulers and pencil leads on his nose while searching for inner tranquility." He continued typing. "I'm seriously hoping you're not incorporating this into a philosophy paper."

"Not there yet. I spent yesterday testing and some of my skills are pretty rusty." She grabbed the pencil before it fell. "Can't run without first learning to walk. Now that's philosophy."

"That could also be a fortune cookie but I digress. It's been minimally three minutes. We should get back to work."

Penny snorted. "What's this 'we' stuff? You haven't stopped typing." While shaking her head she took up her English textbook and sat herself on the floor in front of Leonard's stuffed chair.

The silence in the room was a comfortable one. As Sheldon typed he heard the sound of page turning albeit not at the speed he was used to. Based on the reading formula for speed and comprehension he estimated Penny was average but that was to be expected since she hadn't been an avid reader growing up and certainly hadn't picked up a book as far as he knew since making her acquaintance. The magazines she usually perused didn't cut the mustard in terms of stretching her reading muscle as in a lot of cases the grammar was deplorable.

As his mind quickly adjusted itself to rhythms the disruption in Penny's page-turning caused him to look up. She grabbed her workbook, flipped to a clean page and took out a blue pen to write the date and title before grabbing her ruler and making a double line in red ink. A twitchy smirk crossed Sheldon's face; he wondered whether Penny was one of those girls at primary school who spent more time making her page look pretty than actually working. Hopefully this time would be different.

Indeed she began scribbling down notes in point form, verifying with the text before adding another line. Sheldon found he liked the stroke of her writing: the curve of her letters and the closing of her loops. Her 'o's in particular looked smart with a distinct Charlie Brown hair curl in each one. She wrote with authority, her years of jotting down orders making the pen sit comfortably in her fingers.

At once he noticed she'd changed her nail polish from blue to violet. Not that he hadn't not noticed it. A quick jog through his memory noted her nails were blue on Thursday and violet yesterday so the change occurred some time in the past six days. Regardless the new shade was pleasing and the tapering of the nail allowed his eyes to slide up her fingers, across her hand to her wrist.

Quickly Sheldon's eyes darted back to his screen as Penny set her notebook on the table and stretched. His peripheral vision caught her arms rising over her head and his eyes uncontrollably lifted to see her back arch and her upper ventral region protrude as a result. He took in the roundness of her breasts; how they filled her bra and were colored by her blue t-shirt. Sheldon never told her but he liked her in blue. It reminded him of the first time he saw her in that baby blue t-shirt with her hair cut bluntly with defined bangs, her green eyes bright and curious as she took in her new neighbors. She smiled at him and he'd glanced at the floor lest he be accused of gawking like his roommate. When Sheldon returned his gaze he found she still smiled at him; in her face he detected something he'd later define as kindness instead of the amusement he'd expected to see in someone so beautiful.

That was the subject of his first journal entry concerning Penny—her face. Beyond her naivety concerning her writing and acting ambitions and her ill-fated love with Kurt it was the moment she looked over his whiteboard in wonder that locked in his mind. Her eyes widened and the awe in which she regarded him brought forth something few rarely saw: a genuine Sheldon Cooper smile.

The moment was fleeting however as Leonard called her away to look at his whiteboard as if she should be impressed with a derivative restatement of condensed matter posits. It was an insult to equate his board to Sheldon's work. Taking Penny away was inexcusable.

However things worked out for the best and now she sat nearby, pencil moving in lever motion between her fingers as she again read from her textbook. It was so—intense—seeing her study; her concentration fully engaged in learning woke in Sheldon something akin to pride? Excitement? He couldn't explain the warmth that seemed to pulse through him.

That is until he noticed the bulge in his pants.

Quickly he closed his laptop and stood, keeping the computer in a strategic place as he stepped behind Penny's chair.

"I have to rectify something before I can continue working," he said abruptly before darting to his room.

"Sure," Penny said absently.

The door opened and Leonard entered the apartment.

"Hey Penny," he said as he dumped his keys in the bowl. "How goes the studying?"

She yawned. "Ah, you know: nothing to get excited over."

xTBBTxMATURExTBBTx

He knew Leonard was at Leslie's but that didn't curb his fear of being caught red-handed. Not that Sheldon hadn't masturbated when his roommate was home; he was meticulous in how he prepared for the task, private in his affairs and thorough in his cleanup.

This time was different. Actually every night this week had been different both in frequency of the act and the method. Amy said to treat it like an experiment. He had to admit to himself that it was difficult treating one's genitalia as a scientific puzzle. Biological phenomenon yes; psychological study no. Perhaps it was the whole notion of there having to be a psychological assessment and procedure that had him disconcerted.

At the end of the day, however, he knew it all boiled down to the germs.

As habit dictated he drew an antibacterial wipe from a container and washed his hands before throwing it in the garbage. He drew another and cleaned his privates thoroughly. Again the wipe went to the garbage. It was a ritual with him: draw a wipe and clean his hands. Garbage. Clean his inner thighs. Garbage. Again with the hands. Garbage.

He closed his eyes and began to stroke himself. Immediate thoughts of Jadzia Dax in her 'Trouble with Tribbles' period dress came to mind albeit with her normal Trill coloration. He marveled at the patience involved in marking each dot of pigment on her skin. Too bad the makeup artist wasn't more meticulous as the dots were not consistent from episode to episode. Perhaps Sheldon was the only one to notice such detail but he found it distracting nonetheless. In his fantasy, however, her dots were uniform and traveled to all the right spots as her outfit altered to her swim suit.

Sheldon settled into a rhythm as he pushed and pulled on his organ, riding the rushes of pleasure as he envisioned Dax's legs becoming more muscular, the calves more shapely. Slowly his eyes followed the trail of dots as it bee-lined its way to her core. Only it wasn't hers. Instinctively he knew who this was but his eyes still made their way up her body: over her belly to her nearly symmetrical breasts which were partially covered by flowing strands of blond hair; her well defined shoulders supporting the black straps of her bathing suit. But it was her smile that increased his breathing. So genuine. All for him.

It dawned on him that he hadn't noticed the zipper that went down the front of her suit but a smaller voice said it didn't matter. What he was almost hyper-aware of was her hand as it moved to the circular tab and began ever so slowly to descend. Still she smiled as breasts poured from constricting fabric; her belly button peaked out from its hiding place and still the tab lowered.

Sheldon knew it was time and he opened his eyes to search for the object in question. Panting softly he reached out to Penny's green tank top from the laundry hamper. As the fabric played through his fingers he thought about her and how much he wanted to touch her skin. Know her flesh through his lips and ultimately the length of him inside her warmth. He swallowed and thought about her lips and her breathy chuckle as she whispered into his— Immediately he frowned and called to mind Penny's soft hands as they held up her breasts for him to see. (Amy was explicit that in no way was Sheldon to think about his own body—a task he found more difficult as time pressed on.) Slowly Penny started playing with her nipples and Sheldon felt the tension mounting.

His hand now thoroughly saturated with Penny he set the shirt aside and touched himself. Sheldon's hand ran over his length as the fantasy Penny resumed with the removal of her swim suit. The zipper slid ever downwards until it revealed all of her. She smiled as the suit fell away.

Penny. Unabashedly, unapologetically so.

Pieced together by eidetic memory and imagination he could only summon but a fraction of her heat but it was enough to set him ablaze. Every movement from the rising and lowering of her chest as she breathed to the curling of her fingers as they stroked her breasts pulsed through his hand as it beat against his shaft. Sheldon groaned as she licked her lips; knew she had the power to make or break him with that little mouth of hers.

She drew breath and he waited for her judgment.

"Simple Simon met a pieman, going to the fair," Penny said teasingly as slowly her fingers stroked the length of her belly until the tips disappeared between her folds. "Said Simple Simon to the pieman." A truly wicked smile came to her lips as she held out her fingers now slick with her wetness.

"'Let me taste your wares'."

The release was intense, his body awash in endorphins as his muscle continued to pulse and quiver. After he'd rested he carefully folded the washcloth and set it to the side. Indeed he'd barely had time to cover himself with the cloth before he erupted but Amy didn't want him in contact with anything save Penny's clothing lest it distract him. Sheldon knew the logical course was to use her shirt but he couldn't bring himself to do that. Lord knew this felt devilish enough sneaking pieces of laundry without soiling them further.

He lay back in bed and checked his watch. This was the most difficult part of the experiment: timing how long he could last before he grabbed a wipe and cleaned himself. As days went by the duration increased which was good news his discomfort wasn't in vain.

Now if only he could stem his sudden craving for strawberry pie….

xTBBTx

Penny was boisterous on the phone. Sheldon could hear her as soon as he entered the hallway with laundry basket in hand. Perhaps it would be better to call on her later but it was eight fifteen.

Knock Knock Knock "Penny."

Knock Knock Knock "Penny."

Knock Knock Knock "Penny."

Her voice got louder as she approached and then the door opened. She flashed Sheldon a smile then turned away to continue pacing in front of her coffee table.

"I know! 'Becca and I worked like dogs the whole night and it didn't even work out to a dollar per person. Twenty people and a fifteen dollar tip? That's before it's split between the two of us! … I know! … No way! ... Really?"

Sheldon felt himself twitch as he glanced at his watch. Laundry had to start soon or his schedule would be off. Of course he could do it without Penny but he didn't want a repeat of last weekend. It was after all, their night.

"Penny."

For the first time she seemed to recognize the basket in his arm and held up a finger as she dashed into her bedroom.

"Uh huh….Yeah….You tell it sistah!" Penny brought her own basket to the hamper and began digging out her dirty laundry.

It took her a minute to gather her clothes—yes Sheldon was timing—before she emerged from her bedroom with the basket. He was amazed at her dexterity as she continued to talk with the phone tucked between shoulder and ear while carrying her laundry and soap. She set them down on the floor by the couch and continued talking.

Again Sheldon checked his watch. There was no more time. Setting his basket on top of hers he lifted both and exited the apartment. As he made it to the second floor landing he heard the sound of someone bounding down the stairs until the familiar flip-flop smacking came up to him from behind.

"Sorry about that. Shop talk," said Penny. "I can take that," indicating her basket.

"I've made it this far without incident," Sheldon replied evenly.

"You're most definitely not as coordination-challenged as Leonard. Although he did have a talent for lifting large objects for pretty women," Penny grinned.

"Ego est viribus," said Sheldon. "'Ego is its own strength'." He stepped aside for Penny to enter the laundry room. "Check the washers," he said as he set the baskets on the table.

"A-Ok to me." Penny turned and was surprised to find Sheldon before her with her basket. "Thanks Moonpie."

"Not referring to me as 'Moonpie' is thanks enough," he said before attending to his own laundry.

"Well then let's say I owe ya one," she laughed.

"Penny, they don't produce enough Red Vines in a year to keep up with your transgressions," he said matter-of-factly.

"It's called 'water on a rock'."

"More like perpetual annoyance."

"Eh, potAto potAHto." Penny set her machine in motion and waited for her boyfriend. "The point is I've grown accustomed to that scowl of yours. Anyone ever tell you it's kinda cute?"

His hand paused on the coin startup. "I can't say so, no." He set the machine in motion. "Most people realize 'cute' is not the state I'm trying to convey."

"Oh I know it's not," Penny said over the din of the washers as he started his other machines. "It's still fun to watch, though."

Sheldon pursed his lips. "You're incorrigible."

In response Penny wrapped her arms around his waist. "You wouldn't have me any other way."

"Although I'm sure I'd adjust to a quieter, more demur Penny," he said with a smirk. "Bazinga."

"Keep this up and you'll be in need of an 'adjustment', Mister." Lips met.

"I don't know how kissing after making a sarcastic comment will deter me from making further comments."

"They're such a rarity they deserve a celebration," Penny said with a wink.

"Sarcasm?" Sheldon asked as they left the room.

"Umm sure."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Only the Shadow knows," Penny said in mock seriousness.

"You know what you need?" he said as they climbed the stairs. "Your own 'bazinga'. Then your sarcasm would be obvious."

"I've got my own 'bazinga'," she said with a smirk as her arm hooked through his.

"Sarcasm," he said. It wasn't a question.

XxX

With clean laundry in hand Sheldon entered his bedroom and closed the door. Before he began he wanted to remove the object that'd been burning a hole in his pocket for the last hour and forty five minutes. Taking out a plastic bag he stored in another plastic bag he fluffed it open before reaching into his pocket. In a move that would please Wolowitz's magician sensibilities Sheldon had made a switch as he replaced Penny's top in the laundry and sneaked another piece of dirty apparel into his pocket without her noticing.

His face blanched as he identified the offending item as a pair of Penny's panties.

"This isn't the sock I was looking for," he breathed.

Forget Obi-Wan's Jedi showmanship, Sheldon found himself ensorcelled by a power greater than the Force.

xTBBTx

"Sheldon are you nervous?"

"Yes."

"Don't be."

"I wish it was as simple as following your command, Penny. Unfortunately my body has its own ideas."

"Ok well let's just snuggle here and relax." She rested her head on his chest as the rest of her body curled against him on her bed. "Your heart's racing a zillion miles a second. Just breathe."

Silence save for the sounds of Sheldon's deep breathing.

"I'm not calming down," he said at last.

"Want me to move?"

"That's a trick question since my body's beginning to itch."

"And your head?"

"Couldn't imagine you anywhere else."

Smiling, Penny snuggled against his chest, her finger slowly tracing the 'Red Lantern' symbol on his t-shirt. "Mind over matter, sweetie."

Sheldon closed his eyes. "I am the master of my own body."

"Does that really work?" Penny chuckled. She sensed a smile from her boyfriend.

"Not really. It gives me the illusion of control."

Immediately Penny was all business as she raised her head to look at him. "Nothing's going to happen that you don't want happening, Sheldon."

"I know," he replied as his fingers tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. His eyes danced over hers as he looked away in what she could only call a moment of bashfulness. "I'm worried what I want to happen won't either."

"Before we get all out of control let's simplify," she soothed. "What do you want?" A not unkind smile came to her lips. "It's ok, sweetie. You won't freak me out."

"I want to—touch you." His eyes reached hers and in them was such longing. Something Penny prayed she'd see from Sheldon Cooper.

"Where?" she said evenly, trying to keep the moment light.

"Where wouldn't I?" he asked in some puzzlement.

Penny stuck out her tongue. "Literalist." She lowered her head to his chest and sighed. In response she could feel Sheldon's hand rub lazy circles on her back. "I mean if you were to touch me where would you start?"

"Your shoulders."

"Why there?"

He called to mind the first time he saw Penny standing in her apartment in a baby blue t-shirt. "They're strong and well developed. There's such a physicality to you that's so primal I know I can't match it."

She giggled. "I vill break you like twig."

"Very easily I imagine."

"You're not that fragile Sheldon." She patted his stomach. "I can feel you under all the layers. You're no Chris Hemsworth but you're not a twig either."

"I'm not sure how to take that."

"It means you're F-I-N-E fine"—her fingers walking up to his chest with every letter. She caught his pursed lips and grinned. "You're cute when you blush."

"Really Penny," he chided lightly.

"I'm just saying." She settled back to the task at hand. "Now you've touched my shoulders. What next?"

Silence.

"I don't know how comfortable I am with this," Sheldon said softly.

"Yeah but is this a 'germy' uncomfortable or a Southern Gentleman uncomfortable?"

More silence.

"You know Sheldon it's ok to be sexual. And hot. And horny." Again she raised her head to gaze into his blue eyes. "Hey. Listen to me. I see you in there Mister. Sheldon look at me. Behind your degrees. And big words. Underneath those t-shirts. I see you and you're so beautiful…."

In a flash Penny was at his mouth, their breaths intermingling before lips joined in a motion that became more rhythmic as the seconds passed. Her hands slid through his hair as she drew Sheldon closer. In response he rolled her gently onto her back, raising his head to give her a slight smile before nuzzling her neck.

As Sheldon's lips made their way to Penny's ear he focused solely on her: the moans of pleasure; the softness of her skin. Each kiss was methodical and evenly spaced. The hesitation was perceptible only to Sheldon before his lips slipped past her ear lobe.

Around him he felt Penny's hands rub against his sides and back. Trying to ignore the sensation he returned to her mouth and started the kiss anew. His tongue felt trapped but he wouldn't let it venture from his mouth. He wasn't ready for that. He—

Sheldon stopped his movement and turned his head, resting his forehead on Penny's shoulder.

"Shel—"

"A moment," he said through clenched teeth as he fought for control. In and out. In and out. His breaths came through his nose slow and measured. He cursed himself for not thinking about his tongue in his preparations. Granted he wasn't an expert at making out but Sheldon did realize a gag reflex would be a mood killer. He swallowed heavily and tried not to think even as his brain thrummed in the sensation of Penny's hand soothing his back as her breath covered his neck.

Taking a deep breath, he held it before slowly releasing it through his mouth. Again he swallowed before raising his gaze to meet Penny's concerned eyes.

"Crisis averted," he said with a twitchy mouth.

Her responding smile took his breath.

Again their lips met, moving almost hesitantly as if they were just acquainting themselves for the first time. Slowly the kiss deepened until they parted in order to breathe.

Pushing on his chest to sit him up Penny grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head; her hair cascading around her face reminding Sheldon very much of the Light of Helios that adorned the gods. He wasn't a religious man in any sense of the word yet if there was ever a moment he felt the presence of the divine this was surely it.

"Time to crack the safe," Penny said with a smile as she took his hands and tucked them behind her back towards her bra.

Carefully orienting his fingers Sheldon deftly unhooked the clasps and dragged the bra away from her body. After a moment to take in the sight he lowered his mouth to just below Penny's ear and left lingering kisses as he made his way down her neck and across her shoulder. A shiver went down his spine as Penny's hand stroked the back of his neck. Apparently he had an erogenous zone he wasn't aware of until now. With each brushstroke her nails woke in him something he'd long kept contained. He felt butterflies in his stomach and a pulsing further down. Still her fingers kept moving in slow, maddening circles. He let out an involuntary gasp and rested his cheek against her breast, losing himself in her touch.

Her touch.

Over and over his brain recited the words. Relished each syllable. Translated it into a multitude of languages.

"Let's do it," she whispered to him as she kissed the top of his head.

"I—don't know if I can," he said honestly. "I'm sorry Penny."

"It's ok honey," she soothed. "It was just a suggestion."

"I've read and consulted and practiced and anticipated because I want this." He sighed. "I need more time."

"It'll happen," she said encouragingly. "Look at us now. We're hunkered down and you haven't shoved off. You're still here. Believe me that's a victory."

"I'll always be here, Penny." Her hand froze for a moment before it continued rubbing.

"Absolute aside?" she said in a light tone she immediately regretted using. "Sorry. Bad time to be a smartass."

"Sarcasm reduces stress," Sheldon said quietly.

Again she kissed him. "Thank you, Moonpie. I know, I know—'don't call me Moonpie'."

Sheldon licked his lips. "I don't think Meemaw would mind."

Penny was floored. "What about you?"

"If you could refrain from saying it publicly it'd be appreciated."

"I'll try to remember."

"Which means you won't alter your behavior," he said with a smirk.

"I gotta be me," grinned Penny. She became thoughtful. "You ever think we'd hit three months?"

"Of course."

"Really?"

"I assure you I examined the available evidence thoroughly and knew once we altered our paradigm there was no going back."

If Penny thought she was floored before…. "Wow."

"Indeed."

"You're that sure?"

He raised his head. "Are you questioning my abilities?"

"I always leave the math to you, sweetie."

"A wise decision," Sheldon murmured as he settled against her chest.

"I've been known to have my moments."

Contentment washed over Penny as her hand stroked her lover's—her lover's!—neck.

"Happy Anniversary."

"Penny it's not an—"

Again her hand stopped. "Work with me Sheldon," she giggled.

"Keep rubbing and we'll forget the incident entirely."

"Whatever you say…."

xTBBTx

Amy took another bite of her sandwich as she thought. If she could get through examining the prefrontal cortex in the next hour or so she'd have enough time to call a friend who had a private psychiatric practice in Arizona for some input on Raj's condition. Since Amy had had luck concocting a heuristic immunotherapy approach with Sheldon maybe something equally unorthodox would get the astrophysicist talking.

She picked up her phone and scrolled through the last few texts. Sheldon had reported modest success with her treatment but felt more time was needed to see if it could bring him fully into remission. Right now his difficulty lay with his tongue.

Need to adjust to personal germs before adding Penny's. Lick back of hand and refrain from mouthwash for as long as possible, she texted.

She flipped to the next message. Raj wanted to know if she'd be available for Thai night. If so, he'd offered to pick her up.

I'd like that very much. I'll expect you at 5:55.

Penny's text was a flurry of smiley faces and a big 'AWESOME!' in response to Amy's inquiry about Sheldon and Penny's three month 'anniversary'.

Celebratory toast Sunday at my place. I'll confirm with Bernadette.

Bernadette's message was more blunt: 'Cat's away Sunday. Let's play.' The boys were off on another paintball excursion thus leaving the three women a chance to chat unimpeded.

My place. Sounds good. Will confirm with Penny.

Amy tutted to herself when she caught the time. She had no idea how she'd ever become such a social butterfly especially since she rarely left the lab.

"This brain won't slice itself, Amy Farrah Fowler." She cleared her sandwich and prepared to operate.

xTBBTx

A/N: Wikipedia: Allergy; Mysophobia; Anchoring; Heuristic; Sexual Intercourse; Sex Positions

Thanks for reading!